Looking Back & Ahead: The Year According to CORE

As the holidays approach, 'tis the season to reflect on what we have accomplished together through CORE. We'd like to extend a huge thank you to you, our users, for your enthusiasm in jumping into this experiment! From the beginning of our prototype last fall, our goals have been to bring you a platform that is:

• Your one-stop hub for quality educational resources
• Your gateway to resources in multiple flexible formats including videos, animations, websites, images, online databases, and e-texts
• Your voice for leaving comments and ratings that share how resources can be applied in teaching and learning, and providing back-end analytics that help your district make future purchasing decisions 
• Your forum for sharing self-created and found resources with students and staff across your district and beyond

Along the way, we've experienced some hiccups and challenges, as well as enormous successes. We have learned so much from you! This year we:

• Refined CORE's search capabilities (and we continue to improve it)
• Updated and improved CORE's user interface
• Launched staff commenting and rating features followed by student commenting and rating
• Launched staff contribution features (student contribution will begin in the new year)

Here's where we're at, thanks to you!

We're happy to report that over 250 users have visited our Interactive CORE Advent Calendar since last week! Click here to pick up your daily resources and tips, and then learn how to create your own using ThingLink.

...And here's what's exciting about the new year!

Keep your eyes peeled to news on Twitter, the CORE blog, and on your CORE dashboard!

• Get ready for our Student Contribution Contest to be held from January to February! Students will be able to contribute self-created and found resources to share their learning with users across their district and beyond. (Our teacher contest just wrapped up and was a huge hit!)
• Launching exciting activities for our CIA Team (our not-so-top-secret CORE Input Advisory). We are still accepting interested staff members from all five districts!

Wishing you and your learning communities a safe and fun holiday season!

~ The CORE Team

This is Exciting! 974 Contributions and Counting!

Howdy, CORE Users!

It's December and there's a blizzard outside, but we're in the mood for a celebration! We're celebrating your enthusiasm in sharing learning resources with students and teachers across Alberta and beyond through CORE.

In our fall contribution contest, you contributed over 30 resources in less than a month! That brings our user contribution total to 974! Click here to see who the winners were and find out how to search for their contributions, which included self-created video tutorials, helpful websites, and professional learning materials. Stay tuned for another contribution contest after the winter break!

You definitely have something to say! You have contributed 394 user comments and ratings in CORE. Students and staff in CBE, RVS and GHSD can all comment and rate resources. Thanks for letting other users know how when you have found a resource helpful, what you've used it for, and what could be improved.

Want more resources, tips and more?

• Check our CORE Advent Calendar for a daily treat between now and December 25th
• Follow us on Twitter @core4learning
• Sign up for email updates on the right side of the CORE blog

Drum Roll Please.....and the Winners ARE:

Congratulations to the winners of our Fall Contribution Contest:

image courtesy of  lumaxart on Flickr cc

• Connie Edwards

• Matt Turner

• Mark Miller 

• Danica Burrows

• Erin Quinn

• Nadine Halls
• Alison Brochu

Check out their contributions by clicking Search and then using the [Select User] button on the right navigation panel in CORE.

Thank you to all those who took the time to contribute. Your efforts make CORE stronger and better every day! Keep contributing and building the collection.

Thanks to Pearson Canada for sponsoring the prizes for this contest.

CORE Digital Advent Calendar: Check back daily!

Between now and December 25th, we'll share a new tip, resource, or idea for learning and teaching using the 160,000+ digital videos, animations, images, student exemplars, etexts, online databases and more located at albertacore.ca.

This Digital Advent Calendar was created in 5 simple steps using ThingLink. Click here to learn how! Happy Holidays!